He whispered:
“I don’t know.”
“It doesn’t to me.”
He studied me.
“Then why did you make me do all this?”
I had no good answer.
So I gave him the true one.
“Because I thought achievement proved I was parenting you well.”
He stared.
“That’s dumb.”
“Yes.”
Apparently thirteen-year-olds were uniquely qualified to evaluate my life.
PART 17
The tournament committee reviewed the results because Victoria publicly alleged fraud.
That backfired magnificently.
Independent scoring confirmed everything.
Leo and Ethan:
Perfect scores.
Highest total in tournament history.
Preston:
Last among finalists.
Nothing rigged.
Nothing purchased.
Nothing manipulated.
The report also noted that Vance Foundation sponsorship gave me no authority over scoring.
I was glad.
Money had not been able to contaminate the one moment my boys earned entirely themselves.
PART 18
I did not speak to Elena again for three weeks.
That was her decision.
I respected it.
For once.
I returned home.
Moved into the guest wing.
Victoria and I communicated through attorneys.
Preston stayed primarily with me during the first weeks because he did not want to be around her.
I refused to turn him against his mother.
“You can be angry.”
I told him.
“But she is still your mother.”
He answered:
“She lies.”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t stop being true because she’s your mother.”
Neither did the opposite.
PART 19
Then Lucas Mercer contacted me.
Victoria’s cousin.
He wanted immunity from private civil claims in exchange for full cooperation.
My lawyer told me not to promise anything.
We listened.
Lucas described everything.
Victoria paid him.
He followed Elena.
Took photographs.
Created the anonymous social-media account.
Cropped images.
Removed context.
Sent me messages.
Then something else.
“She told me Elena was pregnant.”
My blood ran cold.
“When?”
“Before you filed for divorce.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Did Victoria?”
Lucas looked away.
“Yes.”
I had suspected.
Hearing it still hurt.
